Factors Affecting Changes in Social Activities of People with Stroke Living in The Community: Follow-Up 1 to 3 Years after Being Discharged Home

: Purpose: This follow- up study by questionnaire aimed to identify factors associated with social activity levels of stroke patients by investigating their activities between 1 and 3 years after discharge. Materials and Methods: Participants included 191 people with stroke who were living in their home. Their social activity levels at 1 and 3 years post-discharge were investigated using the Frenchay Activities Index (FAI: an index for evaluating social activities such as housework, leisure, and work). Factors associated with inactivity at 3 years post-discharge, and with a decline in activity levels from 1 to 3 years post-discharge were analyzed by logistic regression analysis. Results: The median FAI was 23 points after 1 year; however, it declined significantly to 19 points after 3 years. Cognitive dysfunction [odds ratio (OR) = 11.61, p < .001] and dependency in activities of daily living (ADLs) [OR = 8.46, p < .001] were identified as factors associated with inactivity after 3 years. Moreover, dependence in ADLs (OR = 0.10, p = .027) was identified as a factor associated with a decline in activity level from 1 to 3 years post-discharge. Conclusions: Patients with stroke living at home tend to be inactive in the long term; this could be attributed to cognitive dysfunction and ADL dependency. Therefore, occupational therapists need to pay more attention to the social activities of patients with stroke in the community; providing activities tailored to the patient’s abilities is vital. Furthermore, interventions are needed to prevent long-term decline in social activities in patients with stroke living at home, who show independence in ADL.